Shaggy Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Quick Q - did early '60's Fenders have a primer/base coat under the top coat on painted basses, and if so what colour? (Top being sonic blue, if it makes a difference) Looking to make a bitsa Precision for gigging to look more or less like a '62, with just a bit of subtle relic-ing, so want to get the look right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Some early 60s Fenders in custom colours were sunburst under the custom colour. They were resprayed straight over the sunburst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Have a look here: [url="http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fenderc.html"]http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fenderc.html[/url] [quote] [font="verdana,arial,helvetica,helv"][size="-1"]During 1963 and 1964, when guitar production was really high, bodies destine to be a custom color often didn't get the yellow stain, Fullerplast, primer, and clear coat procedure. After all, if the shop was really in a hurry it can just spray the color coat right over the Alder without any preparation paint (if need be). All they did was spray more color coats (especially if a clear coat wasn't used). This would cost more in materials (custom color paint was the most expensive paint Fender used), but it sure was quick. And often, they didn't even clear coat the color. This was truly a "rush" paint job. [/size][/font] [font="verdana,arial,helvetica,helv"][size="-1"]Some colors were really prone to "short cutting" by the Fender factory. For example, Sonic Blue (and to a lesser extent, Olympic White) often do not have the yellow stain. In the case of Sonic Blue, this might have happened because the yellow stain was bleeding through to the blue. Other pastel colors were also shorted cutted, having no yellow stain, no Fullerplast, and/or no clear coat.[/quote][/size][/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Thanks ET - that's a truly excellent article! Didn't realise they were trying acrylic finishes so early, assumed it was just nitro before the change to poly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I'm glad it was useful but of course it seems to imply that there is no straight answer to your question - with Fender 'never say never'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brensabre79 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Surprisingly early on they started using polyester on all guitars. http://www.caraguitars.com/fullerplast.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 [quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1393927983' post='2385811'] Surprisingly early on they started using polyester on all guitars. [url="http://www.caraguitars.com/fullerplast.htm"]http://www.caraguita...fullerplast.htm[/url] [/quote] I don't see what the dirty little secret is and nor do I understand why the writer complains about Fullerplast being plastic when nitrocellulose is plastic too isn't it, as are polyurethane and polyester. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumnote Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1393964043' post='2386404'] I don't see what the dirty little secret is and nor do I understand why the writer complains about Fullerplast being plastic when nitrocellulose is plastic too isn't it, as are polyurethane and polyester. [/quote] I dont remember anyone giving a toss in those days, we were just gratefull if we could actually afford to buy one, regardless of condition. I think this has come about in recent years when a nitro finish was claimed to be a better finish/more tone, make you attractive to women Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 [quote name='bumnote' timestamp='1393965314' post='2386429'] .... make you attractive to women [/quote] ... but I thought it was my natural charm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumnote Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1393966055' post='2386443'] ... but I thought it was my natural charm? [/quote] But a nitro finish gets you twins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 [quote name='bumnote' timestamp='1393966412' post='2386449'] But a nitro finish gets you twins [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumnote Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Nah thems sisters, these are twins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 [quote name='bumnote' timestamp='1393967291' post='2386474'] Nah thems sisters, these are twins [/quote] OK bro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumnote Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Back on topic, the guitarist I play with has a fullerton strat that he bought new in new york however many years ago it was. Its been played to death and the finish underneath the fiesta red is black. Presumably in the 70s or 80s they were still overspraying finished bodies or guitars to satisfy dealer orders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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